Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

I hope to have the broadcasting Bill published in the first part of 2006 and discussed and finalised by the end of the year.

Over the past three or four years there has been consultation on broadcasting, including extensive broadcasting fora around the country and a number of reports such as the Ox report referred to by the Deputy. Much of what is in the Bill will give effect to some of the reports emanating from the consultation process. Hopefully, the Bill will be part of an experiment in e-government put forward by the Chief Whip and approved by the Opposition Whips to provide interactive engagement between the public and legislators during the course of the Bill's passage.

I will not get involved in the specifics of the Phantom FM case. It is a matter for the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, BCI, to award licences. The Deputy and his party would claim to be strongly of the view that there should be independent bodies rather than political people making decisions on licences. This is what happens with independent bodies, that is, they cannot be influenced in their decisions. We cannot have it both ways. We either agree to set up the body and trust in its judgment to do something right or we do not.

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